Fare-beaters are feeling the burn after crackdown on local bus service begins

[BreeddekalbL]

On bus routes where riders frequently skip the fare, inspectors are on the hunt for offenders. The Eagle Team started its assignment on Monday and will be issuing $100 summonses to riders who blow by bus operators.
 

The free ride is over.

The MTA began cracking down on fare-beaters Monday, sending teams of inspectors to catch bus riders who collectively pilfer more than $50 million a year from the agency.

The Eagle Team — made up largely of retired cops and former members of the military — went on the hunt on local buses for the first time Monday.

Inspectors spied at bus stops and rode on the Bx15 in an unprecedented effort to stem the financial bleeding.

“Wow,” said Denise Edwards, 34, after exiting a bus at 169th St. and Third Ave. “They’re not playing.”

On the southern end of the route on 125th St. in Harlem, Roland Powell allegedly boarded without paying. He walked past the driver and took a seat, not noticing three undercover inspectors — two men and a woman — sitting on the bus, transit officials said.

It’s unfair,” said Powell, taken off the bus about 2:30 p.m. “I did pay.”

Powell, 25, was hit with a summons that carries a $100 fine. Bus fare, by comparison, is a mere $2.50.

Until Monday, the Eagle Team only targeted fare-beaters on the MTA’s three Select Bus Service routes. The MTA doubled the size of the force to 120 and expanded its role to include regular buses.

The special inspectors kicked off their enforcement efforts on bus routes that records show have the highest number of fare-beaters. Some of the workers are in uniform, which appeared to be a huge deterrent at bus stops along the route. No one even tried to beat the fare.

But, back on the bus, transit officials said more than a dozen riders tried to beat the system. Khadijah Haughton, 33, was among them, the inspectors said.

“Come on now,” she protested, as tears welled in her eyes. “This is hurting my heart. I’m not a criminal.”

Haughton said she had a bus-to-bus transfer but it expired while she waited for a bus with an empty seat. She needs the empty seat because of a bum leg, she said. Riders have two hours to make a transfer.

She also got a ticket — one of 18 people caught between late morning and early evening.

“The goal is not to catch people fare-beating,” said NYC Transit division security director Vincent DeMarino. “The goal is to get people to pay the fare, get them to think, ‘You know what? I’d better pay the fare’ because they might get a summons.”

Some riders saw merit in the crackdown, arguing that it’s upsetting as a paying rider to see others riding for free. Others expressed sympathy for riders who have difficulty paying the fares.

“I think it’s good, but bad too,” said Destiney Clarke, 14. “If someone doesn’t have $2.50 to pay the fare and they get a $100 ticket, where are they going to get the money to pay that?”

Doussou Kone, 13, was just surprised anyone was paying attention.

“I’ve never seen anyone out here,” she said of the stepped-up enforcement.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fare-beaters-feeling-burn-new-mta-sting-article-1.1279362

 

hopefully you'll see some on the B46 

[B35 via Church]

Simply put, The "Eagle Team" should've been on the prowl for farebeaters outside of just the SBS routes....

[Blitz]

Good, now they should raise the summons price to $150...

[Q43LTD]

Where were they when there were no SBS routes?

[BreeddekalbL]

Where were they when there were no SBS routes?

 

i think the team came about when sbs came about?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Excellent... It's about time... Enough is enough... The free ride is over!! Pay or walk!  What's even nicer is these are mainly retired cops so they know the streets and know the deal.  No more games... A lot of the riff raff on the local buses comes from deadbeats that don't pay.  You would think that if they're getting a free ride on our backs that they would sit down and shut up but they tear up the buses to boot and leave a mess.  I don't feel sorry for them at all.  And to the lady talking about she's not a criminal, sorry but stealing service is "illegal", hence why you're getting a ticket.

[peacemak3r]

I always felt satisfied when the B3 B/O's kicked out the kids pleading to get on the bus for free.  They need to do this on the regular routes too!

[S78 via Hylan]

Good. About damn time they started stepping up enforcement. What I will say is they really need to do this in Statem Island because most of their local routes have way too many farebeaters.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Good. About damn time they started stepping up enforcement. What I will say is they really need to do this in Statem Island because most of their local routes have way too many farebeaters.

They did a big sting last year on Staten Island local bus routes but it needs to be more consistent and regular.

[Cait Sith]

Let's see how long this will last...

[FamousNYLover]

I wonder if Eagle Team check Jamaica Bus Terminal, where lots of MTA Bus/NYCT and NICE Buses departs.

[Culver]

Gotta love the "oh woe is me" complaints from fare beaters. Here's a solution for them: if you don't want to get fined, don't get on the bus without paying. Simple as that. Don't willingly try and get on for free and then complain you got caught.

[mediccjh]

How dare these people actually have to PAY for a service!!

 

[/sarcasm]

[Grand Concourse]

Yeah, this entitlement shit because they want to stick it to the MTA needs to stop. Doesn't surprise me these are the same type that complains about everything and tries to justify not paying. We need more undercover cops too. Doesn't surprise me some of the fare beaters are also guilty of other crimes. It's a 2fer, bust them on the fare and on a possible former unsolved/unpunished crime. Interesting the article mentions ex military folks, so even better. I don't want it to be some employee without some combat experience because lets face it, not all farebeaters are frail old women and some don't handle things well (ie go postal).

[qjtransitmaster]

Gotta love the "oh woe is me" complaints from fare beaters. Here's a solution for them: if you don't want to get fined, don't get on the bus without paying. Simple as that. Don't willingly try and get on for free and then complain you got caught.

$100 is too low CRUSH EM WITH A $200 fine then watch the farebeating drop.

[MHV9218]

$100 is too low CRUSH EM WITH A $200 fine then watch the farebeating drop.

 

Not much evidence that really works. You know as well as I do that nobody who's cheating the bus fan has $100 to drop, which means they don't have $200 to drop either. Not like the money's gonna scare anybody away, cause if that were the case, it'd work at $100, you see what I'm saying? 

[Grand Concourse]

The higher fine does scare some ppl that it's better to just pay the fare than to not pay. As for the other criminals, to them it doesn't matter as they'll probably take the prison time anyway.

[User]

The put out a press release of this information today:

 

Link: http://mta.info/news/stories/?story=983

 

 

Boosting its commitment to safety and security along MTA bus routes, NYC Transit has commenced a city-wide roll out of the successful Eagle Team Bus Fare Evasion initiative.

       

This marks the first major expansion of the Eagle team, which was initially employed along Select Bus Service (SBS) routes, which operate with an efficient and time-saving off-board fare payment and proof of payment once the customer is onboard the bus.  For nearly five years, the Eagle Team has been credited with creating an atmosphere of minimal fare evasion as well as near zero operator assaults along the routes its members serve.

The idea behind the use of the Eagle Team is two-fold, first to serve as a deterrent against fare evasion and second to assist the NYPD, particularly notifying them of “hot spots” along bus routes – locations that we have identified to be of concern due to high levels of fare evasion activity.

       

“This program has proven to be extremely successful and its expansion will bring an increased level of security to customers and employees while also reminding riders that non-payment of the transit fare is not an option,” said Darryl Irick, President of MTA Bus/Senior Vice President of NYC Transit Department of Buses.

       

First created as a means of decreasing the level of fare evasion along Select Bus Service routes, the presence of the Eagle Teams and their close working relationship with the NYPD has created benefits in other areas as well, including a decrease in crime in and around buses, including thefts of customers’ electronic devices, bus operator assaults, vandalism of the equipment, pick pocketing, etc.

       

“The Eagle Teams represent a presence onboard our buses and their activities are bolstered by a close, collaborative relationship with the NYPD,” said Vincent DeMarino. Chief of New York City Transit’s Department of Security, “To help make their efforts as productive as possible, we ask the public to support them as they work to enhance the riding experience.”  

       

On the first day of the initiative, 18 fare evaders were removed from buses along the Bx15, each receiving $100 summonses.  Fare evasion is expensive for the MTA and for our customers, who end up paying more when fellow riders choose to break the law.  The Eagle Team may be coming to your bus route soon.  So, if you’re thinking about not paying your fare, you may be faced with a $100 fine.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Gotta love the "oh woe is me" complaints from fare beaters. Here's a solution for them: if you don't want to get fined, don't get on the bus without paying. Simple as that. Don't willingly try and get on for free and then complain you got caught.

 

 

Yeah, this entitlement shit because they want to stick it to the MTA needs to stop. Doesn't surprise me these are the same type that complains about everything and tries to justify not paying. We need more undercover cops too. Doesn't surprise me some of the fare beaters are also guilty of other crimes. It's a 2fer, bust them on the fare and on a possible former unsolved/unpunished crime. Interesting the article mentions ex military folks, so even better. I don't want it to be some employee without some combat experience because lets face it, not all farebeaters are frail old women and some don't handle things well (ie go postal).

My sentiments exactly... This is the (MTA)'s fault because they're created this sense of "entitlement" by being lax on enforcement.  I wonder if these people think that everything else is free? Do they walk into the supermarket take food off of the shelves and walk out without paying??

[Jdog14]

This took too long. Now if they can just get the team to that Hotspot over on Eastern Pkwy and Utica Ave .

[Orion VII 4 Life]

MTA should deploy MTAPD to the buses and subways, give these farebeaters a real deterrent instead of just square badge security guards. Our wonderful police commissioner doesn't do nearly enough to deter them, glad we now have more than just his goons taking care of the farebeaters.

[NYCtrainfan01]

Hope the eagle team checks out the Bx1/Bx2 and all the Fordham RD routes...

 

It's about damn time they stepped up fare enforcement...

[QM1to6Ave]

AS everyone else has said, it's about time for this!

 

MTA should deploy MTAPD to the buses and subways, give these farebeaters a real deterrent instead of just square badge security guards. Our wonderful police commissioner doesn't do nearly enough to deter them, glad we now have more than just his goons taking care of the farebeaters.

MTAPD does not have jurisdiction over buses. They would need to change the law for that, 

[Culver]

This took too long. Now if they can just get the team to that Hotspot over on the B41, B44 and B46.

Corrected.

 

MTA should deploy MTAPD to the buses and subways, give these farebeaters a real deterrent instead of just square badge security guards. Our wonderful police commissioner doesn't do nearly enough to deter them, glad we now have more than just his goons taking care of the farebeaters.

The NYPD is too busy wasting money spying on people with Arabic names, harassing completely random minority youths, and being private security for downtown bank HQ's. I'm not sure actual law enforcement is something they're really interested in anymore.

[Orion VII 4 Life]

AS everyone else has said, it's about time for this!

 

MTAPD does not have jurisdiction over buses. They would need to change the law for that, 

Doubt there's an actual law, but I know the MTA has an agreement in place with the NYPD where they pay them for Transit Bureau services on the subway. MTA and a$$hole Kelly have said numerous times that the buses are patrolled by local precincts (not Transit Bureau) whenever they feel like it, so I doubt there's an agreement in place and MTAPD could very well be allowed to patrol the buses.

 

The NYPD is too busy wasting money spying on people with Arabic names, harassing completely random minority youths, and being private security for downtown bank HQ's. I'm not sure actual law enforcement is something they're really interested in anymore.

Thank you...

 

Honestly, I think that NYPD takeover of the TA Police should never have happened. It would've been folded into MTAPD and there'd be 1 police department for all the MTA systems.